Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Waverly and Kieran live on a giant space ship that houses a large community of people who have fled earth due to the inhospitable conditions. Waverly and Kieran were actually born on this ship so they never knew earth. The idea is that after many years they will be able to inhabit a planet called New Earth. They are not the only ship who deserted earth, but the ship that took off before them left an entire year prior to their departure. Therefore, they are shocked to see this other ship one day. The captain assures everyone that everything is okay, but naturally everyone is on edge to see a ship after all this time. Their suspicions are confirmed when soldiers from that ship attack their home and take all the female children hostage. Waverly is taken to the new ship against her will and believes it is her job to protect the younger children. Meanwhile, Kieran is left in a position of power on their home ship, but has difficulty getting others to follow his will. Will they ever be reunited? Can they ever sort out all of the lies to find the truth?

This story is simply captivating. Once you begin it is almost impossible to stop. There are so many things Waverly and Kieran do not know about the people who have been making all the decisions around them. In most cases, people they either trusted or hated end up have sympathetic sides as well as deplorable ones. The situation is unique, yet the actions taken by the humans seem believable and understandable given the circumstances. Fans of books with futuristic themes will love this book and will eagerly await the next installment. Highly recommended.